The Malian army says it is investigating allegations that soldiers have carried out summary executions in the Islamist-controlled north. A senior military officer told the BBC it was neither confirming nor denying such acts had taken place.

The aid effort to help over 147,000 Malian refugees could be overwhelmed as conflict escalates, unless there is a significant shift in the way aid operations are carried out, international agency Oxfam has warned.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday described the Islamic terror group, Boko Haram, as a threat not only to Nigeria, but also to the entire African continent and called for international efforts to curb its activities.

Jonathan, while fielding questions on a CNN programme, Amanpour, from the World Economic Forum, Davos said the sect was not fuelled by corruption or misrule as suggested by a section of the international community.